Feeling Scared About Your Business? Here are 7 Ways To Snap Out of it – FAST

It’s pretty normal to feel scared about your business – but you can’t stay there long! Here are 7 ways to snap out of it and get back to business FAST.

I’ve just finished a couple of weeks of speaking gigs and I was amused to find that I got the same question over and over again.

It was basically along the variation of “Denise, do you ever get scared?“.

Spoiler alerts…

Yes

All the time

Yes, but I don’t let it derail me

Sometimes I want to run away from my business screaming

I could see everyone’s faces change visibly with relief.

I understand the question because it stems from an incredibly useless belief that we have to be perfect before we’re allowed to have our dreams come true.

That’s bullshit.

Because it’s entirely normal to feel scared when you’re doing something out of the norm, like having a successful life and business.

Why is it that we alone think we’re scared? Even though most successful people look like they have it together all the time, it’s not true or even necessary.

Fear is inevitable because business is the best personal development ever! Don’t believe me?

Nothing will…

Bring up your money issues quicker than asking for the sale

Test your personal boundaries faster than the first time a client tries to overstep them

Unearth your fear of being a bitch quicker than saying NO to a non-ideal project, client or request

Expose your fear of being seen like having your first blog go viral

Some days I’m so scared, I just want to curl up on the couch, watch Game of Thrones on repeat and never look at my inbox again.

Surely it goes away eventually?

No, never.

Millionaire Ali Brown is one of my business mentors and surely she’s never scared? Nope – she told me that every stage of her business has been filled with fear too. Not every day, but enough to know that there’s never truly a time when you’re 100% fearless.

“One of my escapist fantasies is to run away to Mexico and make jewelry. I know when that sounds good to me, it means I am working way too hard!” – Ali Brown.

Guess what? Even millionaires and billionaires sometimes feel like frauds. That’s okay. We’ve established that there’s nothing wrong with feeling a little fear, but what to do about it?

Here are my 7 tips:

1. Call a friend

Meet a few of my personal business besties – Victoria Gibson of Marveo.com, Belinda Jackson of Web Chameleon and the awesome Leonie Dawson. Chicks I call or message when I’m feeling scared. I connect with these amazing ladies at least once a week.

Sometimes it’s just a quick, “I’m about to send out this sales page, and I’m crapping myself” or “Guys, this person is being a dick, what should I do?“.

Either way, having other women who have your back or can talk you off the ledge is invaluable for those scary days.

Don’t try and get through your fear by yourself.

By the way, have you ever told your husband/friend/parent that you’re scared or feeling crappy about your business, and they replied “oh, maybe you should just get a job then”?

GRRRRR.

Obviously, they meant it with love – afterall, they can’t understand why you can’t just make your life a little easier and just live a “normal life”.

Not everyone understands the fears associated with running a business, so be careful who you speak to when you’re feeling down. If you need some business reassurance, talk to someone who is qualified to help you (Qualified = non attached, sees you as your highest potential and someone who has achieved success in their own life).

Don’t take advice from people who aren’t successful – it’s literally not their business and don’t use your friends and family as mastermind partners.

2. Clean up some physical shit

I am super super messy, I’ll admit it. (My mum never gets tired of reminding me I used to stash wet and dirty towels under my bed in an effort to “clean up” my room)

After a few days of feeling stagnant, I cleaned up my office and damn, that feels so good. I even burned some sage like a true hippie.

It’s also lovely being surrounded by pretty things. My desk was covered in piles of crud and now it’s all clean and lovely. I can see my Goddess Fortuna statue. My to-do list is front and centre and I’m ready to go. I’ve got easy access to my calculator and some space clearing spray when I need a pick me up.

Basically, being surrounded by mess can make the fear feel worse. You feel like you’re literally trapped under a pile of crap.

4. Make a list

Sometimes you’re scared to start or complete a project because you really don’t know what needs to be done. I’ve sat at my desk many a time, freaking out about something when the reality was actually really easy and painless.

Shining a light on what’s stressing you out is the quickest way to eliminate the “False Evidence Appearing Real” syndrome.

I love Kiki K grids to organise my to-do list but any “month at a glance” grid will do. Each square gets it own action item and you can tick them off as you go.

Remind yourself that even though you’re scared, you deeply and completely love and accept yourself.

6. Self care works wonders

Spend $15 and get your nails done, two bucks in one of those mall massage chairs or take yourself on a movie date. It’s a great way to break the pattern of wallowing in your fear.

This goes doubly if you’re working from home by yourself. Days and days without a shower or changing out of your yoga pants can make the fear seem even worse because you’re basically isolating yourself from the real world.

It doesn’t have to cost that much money, in fact, you’ve probably got a bunch of unused gift vouchers hiding away in a desk drawer.

By the way, spending $50 on a professional blow dry will make you feel like a million bucks. It’s totally one of my manifesting secrets. Good hair = manifesting mojo.

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Comments

Loved it, as usual! I love that you allow other women to be real and to be themselves: it’s O.K to have a day or two (or three or five!) of self pity or crankiness.
Nowadays there is so much personal development information and so many teachers selling you that idea of constant happiness. I think it does unrealistic expectations and only brings more guilt into what could be just a normal emotion.
Thank you for showing others that you have fear and are still successful and able to rise above it. Hell Yes, once again!

Denise, you are a gem!!
This is exactly what everyone needs to talk about – not to put a focus on fear, simply to remind ourselves fear is totally normal and to get on with the job at hand!!
Best wishes, Caylie
P.S. Great meeting you at B Babes in Melb x

Love, love, LOVE this post! It’s always good to have a reminder that occasional wallowing in fear and negative self-talk is part of the “price of admission” for building an extraordinary life. Worth every cent. 🙂

Your list makes complete sense. Fear has been the biggest thing for me. Ever since I decided to set up a 30 day challenge for myself, I decided to start blogging about it. I almost didn’t but i’m glad I didn’t let fear hold me back.

I still would prefer to hide away and not blog at all but i’m going to keep going regardless.

God I needed this! I recently had a project fall through unexpectedly and it sent me spiralling into fear, but feeling like I couldn’t talk about it because I’m supposed to look “successful” in my marketing. But on the weekend I cleaned, yesterday I spoke to a friend, and today I’m going to be journalling about the emotional side (and maybe even publicly blogging about it!).

Fear is the biggest thing holding me back at the moment – not sure if it is fear of failure or fear of success and just putting myself out there. I am so on the fence and know I need to focus on getting clients, an online program and other products onto my website to start things happening but… Thank you so much Denise for just being you and as usual giving great, practical advice.

I’m curious as to why most internet marketers promote this anti-family/friends mindset:

“Don’t take advice from people who aren’t successful – it’s literally not their business and don’t use your friends and family as mastermind partners.”

Just because the uninitiated don’t fully understand the wacky world of online marketing, it doesn’t mean their common sense isn’t valuable. xD My friends and family know me better than anyone else. They’re able to say, “you’ve been staying up that last three nights until 3 a.m. I don’t think that’s helping you.” And they’re also able to say, “are you sure you’re not just going after money here? Because promoting something you don’t fully believe in, doesn’t sound like you.”

Besides, there are many ways to be successful. xD My boyfriend’s determination inspired me. He encourages me not to give up on things I really want to accomplish. You don’t need to be an IM Guru to do that.

But have you ever had a relative or friend try and give you business advice when they literally have NEVER been successful at anything in their lives? Those people. Don’t take business advice from those people.

I talk about my business with my husband all the time and of course, take his opinions on board – but even he doesn’t know all the ins and outs of my business – so I don’t take his word as gospel because no, his advice isn’t impartial. It isn’t his business – it’s mine so he can have his opinion but at the end of the day, it’s my business. He sometimes gives great advice and sometimes incredibly unhelpful.

I’m definitely not anti-friends and family – and if someone gave me the advice you mentioned (ie. working too hard or doing something out of character), I’d totally hear them.

Okay so this is probably going to sound just like the rest of the comments but I don’t care I have to say it… THANK YOU for this post… You have no idea how much you just helped me with this I’m printing it out and keeping a copy in my planner. I loved the way you defined who should be considered Qualified as someone to turn to “(Qualified = non attached, sees you as your highest potential and someone who has achieved success in their own life) …. Don’t take advice from people who aren’t successful – it’s literally not their business and don’t use your friends and family as mastermind partners.”
I’ve tried to explain that to people in the past but I’ve never been able to word it that well. Anyway I hope you have continued success you’ve helped me tremendously just with this site and I find so much inspiration in woman like you… Thanks again!

Thank you, Denise! This comes at such a great time, when my husband and I need to grieve about a business decision, and stop the self-loathing, and get on with it. The de-cluttering is resonating a lot lately as well.